Spring display.

Oh that looks lovely, Majeeka... Spring has sprung! I saw your comment about being careful with tender plants...and I was wondering how you made it through the cold time... was just looking at Spritz's pics and she was preparing for her garden show in June...and talking about the plants she had to replace which were lost to the cold... that is so sad! Are the willows still ok? I think they're pretty hardy, right? There were miles and miles of swamp full of willows in the north...and they were a proper plant pest...(try saying that fast three times! lol)

lol yes you are not suposed to plant certain types without permission from the council over here, but i checked this one out properly before going ahead and this is fine, and yes it is starting to bud up nicely now. i have been quite lucky really this winter, i have had one or two causluties not as bad as some though. - i know that poor Spritz has been quite unlucky, for me, a couple of lavender plants, a hebe, my so called hardy gerbera plant, and my coprosma all bit the bullet, not too sure on the perennials as yet as still waiting for some to put in an appearence, i had a lovely dark leaved hardy geranium that i have'nt seen any signs of as yet, will be gutted if that has gone, and one or two others that proberly should be putting in an appeance but have'nt as yet. i think i lost both my passifloras and my trumpet vine too. never mind no use crying over split milk - or dead plants.

good gardener's philosophy, M! I've just started my spring cleanup...I leave the leaves on the ground over winter..and as soon as the snow goes and they are dry, I rake them and mulch them with my mower...makes a great mulch or a headstart for composting! When I removed the leaves the tips of the new growth of the daff's and narcissus are just emerging from the almost frozen ground!

Good for you Lori, it is much colder for you anyway is'nt it, hopefully spring is just around the corner for you too :-)